Fitting for connecting two components

ABSTRACT

A fitment comprised of two plate-shaped fitment halves ( 1   a,    1   b ) for the joining of two structural parts ( 2   a,    2   b ), which are screwed together with the opposite and equally engaging fitment halves ( 1   a,    1   b ). By a longitudinal movement of the structural parts ( 2   a,    2   b ) relative to one another, a retaining flap ( 7 ) held with a fastening screw ( 9 ) in a first holding recess ( 8 ) in fitment half ( 1   b ) folds around in the transverse axis and encloses with a second holding recess ( 10 ) a head ( 13 ) of a fastening screw ( 14 ) rigidly joining the other fitment half ( 1   a ). This reliably prevents a loosening of the joining in all directions.

The invention concerns a fitment for joining two structural parts, inparticular structural parts with large dimensions, which are utilized inbuilding and wood construction in the building of houses. The fitment,however, also can be used for the secure and rational joining ofstructural parts in other cases of application. Based on itsparticularly simple construction, the fitment can be easily manufacturedin different sizes and in a cost-favorable manner.

The fitment is comprised of two metal fitment halves, each of which isattached to a structural part to be joined, and elements which can beengaged with each other, and which bring about the joining of thestructural parts during assembly. Such fitments are sufficiently knownto the person skilled in the art from the prior art, e.g., from thedocument U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,311 and thus will not be explained infurther detail here.

For special cases of application, it is necessary that the joining canalso be locked, i.e., it is impossible loosen the connection [in adirection] opposite to the coupling motion. A typical application is theconstruction of buildings in stormy regions and in regions that arethreatened by earthquakes, where bearing beams must be reliably joinedtogether. The joining sites must have properties that are not absolutelynecessary in conventional buildings. Thus, the joining sites must absorbforces that act opposite to gravitational force, if, for example, acyclone acts on a roof. In addition, in the above-named cases ofapplication, it is of particular importance that the joining sites havea predetermined elasticity.

The joining constructions known from the prior art are to varyingdegrees suitable for taking up large forces even in special cases ofload, whereby constructions that are solid and can be securely lockedare frequently rigid and expensive. A particular disadvantage ofconventional joining constructions lies in the fact that locking must beconducted as an additional working step.

Taking into consideration the above-discussed disadvantages of the priorart, it is the object of the invention to create a joining constructionfor joining structural parts, which guarantees a high functionalsecurity even in special cases of load, in conjunction with aself-actuated lock. In addition, the joining construction will besimple, robust, and can be manufactured in a cost-favorable manner.

This object will be solved by a fitment according to patent claim 1.

According to the invention, a fitment will be created for the joining oftwo structural parts, which [fitment] is comprised of two fitmenthalves, each of which is attached to a structural part to be joined, andelements which can be engaged with each other and which bring about thenon-detachable coupling of the structural parts after the joiningoperation has been concluded. The fitment halves are plate-shaped. Theopposite-lying end segments each have a slot. One end segment is bentback around 180° and the other end segment is bent in or cropped. At theend of the slot, i.e., toward the center of the plate, a recess isprovided, e.g., a depression for the uptake of the head of a screw. Theend segment that is bent back around 180° has a fastening borehole inthe segment of the material that lies opposite the recess. At least oneother fastening hole is provided between the end segments of the fitmenthalves. Both fitment halves are screwed onto the parts to be joined,whereby a fastening screw is provided at each of the slot ends, since itis here that high lever forces may arise. The number and the size of thescrews will be determined by the person skilled in the art.

A plate-shaped retaining flap is arranged in the space created by thebend of the end segment of only one of the fitment halves. The retainingflap has a first holding recess for holding the retaining flap in thespace of the bend by means of the attachment screw. In a positionopposite the first holding recess, in the direction of the longitudinalaxis of the retaining flap, a second, larger holding recess is provided.A swivel-point support is formed between the first and the secondholding recess. The retaining flap is dimensioned in such a way thatwhen the cropped end segment of the other fitment half is inserted intothe space created by the bend, the retaining flap is tilted in thecrosswise axis, and thus the second holding recess of the retaining flapencloses the head of a screw which is arranged in the fastening hole andwhich fastens the other fitment half.

The fitment according to the invention is simple to manufacture and toassemble. The fitment can absorb relatively high forces based on thefastening means that are used. It is particularly advantageous that alocking results automatically by means of the retaining flap that tiltsduring the coupling movement.

According to claim 2, parallelly aligned chamfers, which facilitate thejoining when the fitment halves are oppositely and equally engaged withone another, are provided at the leg ends of the fitment halves, wherebythe chamfer of the short end is aligned with the inner space created bythe bend of the fitment half.

According to claim 3, the retaining flap is a permanent magnet. In thisway, it always assumes an assembly position that is functionallyfavorable for the coupling.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference toparticularly advantageous embodiments, which are shown schematically inthe appended drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a fitment half.

FIG. 2 shows a retaining flap.

FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the retaining flap

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C show the functional principle of the joining means.

FIG. 5 shows an example of embodiment of the recessed arrangement of afitment half.

FIG. 1 shows one of the two equally formed, plate-shaped fitment halves1 a, 1 b made of metal for the form-fitting joining that cannot beloosened of two structural parts 2 a, 2 b (shown in FIG. 4). The fitmenthalves have an end segment 3 which is bent back around an angle of 180°and has a fastening hole 3 a that passes in between two leg ends. Acropped end segment 4 with a longitudinal slot 4 a with beveled runoutis formed in the position opposite end segment 3. At least one otherfastening hole 5, which is spaced apart from fastening hole 3a isprovided between the end segments 3, 4 of the fitment half. Thebent-back end segment 3 of the fitment half forms an inside space 6created by the bend. Depressions 3 b and 4 b are provided for taking upthe head of each fastening screw. The shafts of the fastening screws,the heads of which are taken up by the depressions 3 b and 4 b, incooperation with the slots, bring about a very stable constructionagainst the application of force from any direction.

FIG. 2 shows a plate-shaped retaining flap 7 with a holding recess 8 fora fastening screw 9 (shown in FIG. 3). In the position opposite theholding recess 8, in the direction of the longitudinal axis of theretaining flap 7, a second, larger holding recess 10 is produced. Aswivel-point support 11 is formed between the holding recesses 8 and 10in a transverse axis of the retaining flap 7 next to fastening hole 8.In this example, the swivel-point support 11 is formed by a curvature.It is clear to the person skilled in the art that the swivel-pointsupport may also be produced by other measures, such as, e.g., athickening of the material.

FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of retaining flap 7 in the inside space 6created the bend of fitment half 1 b when fastening screw 9 is insertedin holding recess 8 of retaining flap 7, while additional fasteningscrews 14 for the subsequent fastening are already inserted up to screwhead 13 in fastening holes 5 of fitment half 1 b.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C show the functional principle of the joining means.As FIG. 4A shows, the fitment halves 1 a, 1 b are each solidly arrangedon structural parts 2 a, 2 b by fastening screws (14, 9). In order toproduce the form-fitting joining between fitment halves 1 a, 1 b,structural parts 2 a, 2 b are moved in the longitudinal directionrelative to one another until the fitment halves are engaged equally andopposite one another, as is shown in FIG. 4B. Upon further introducingthe cropped end segment 4 of fitment half 1 a into the bend space 6 offitment half 1 b with retaining flap 7, the retaining flap folds down inthe direction 12 of the arrow in swivel-point support 11 around thetransverse axis and encloses with the second holding recess 10 (see FIG.2) the screw head 13 of a fastening screw 14 for attaching to the otherfitment half 1 a. This state of joining is shown as the locked positionin FIG. 4C and reliably prevents a loosening of the joining in alldirections.

FIG. 5 shows an example of embodiment of the recessed fastening offitment half 1 b with retaining flap 7 arranged in structural part 2 b,whereby the other fitment half 1 a must be attached jutting out on thestructural part. This type of joining of structural parts is comparableto a joining by mortise and tenon and assures the optical masking of thejoining means.

1. A fitment comprised of two fitment halves for the form-fittingjoining of two structural parts, wherein one of the fitment halves isattached to one of the structural parts and has elements that can beengaged with one another and that effect the joining of structuralparts, is hereby characterized in that fitment halves are configured inplate shape, have one end segment with an attachment hole, and this endsegment is bent back around an angle of 180° and is longitudinallyslotted, have another cropped end segment with a longitudinal slot,wherein a recess is provided at each slot end for the uptake of a screwhead, at least one other fastening hole is provided between endsegments, a plate-shaped retaining flap is arranged in the inside spacecreated by the bend of end segment of fitment half, and this flap hasthe following features: a first holding recess, in order to holdretaining flap in bend space by means of a fastening screw, a secondholding recess and a swivel-point support arranged between the first andthe second holding recess, whereby the retaining flap is dimensionedsuch that upon introducing the cropped end segment of the other fitmenthalf into the bend space of fitment half, the retaining flap is tiltedin the direction of the arrow and thus the second holding recessencloses the head of a fastening screw, which fastens the other fitmenthalf, and this screw is arranged in fastening hole.
 2. The fitmentaccording to claim 1, further characterized in that parallelly alignedchamfers, which facilitate the coupling together when the fitment halvesare oppositely and equally engaged with one another, are formed at theend segments of the fitment half, whereby the chamfers point to thefastening side of the fitment half.
 3. The fitment according to claim 1or 2, further characterized in that the retaining flap is a permanentmagnet.